delegated
UK[ˈdɛlɪɡeɪtɪd]US[ˈdɛlɪɡeɪtɪd]
v
(past tense and past participle of delegate) to give part of your work, power, or authority to someone else so that they can do it for you
v
to choose someone to do a particular job or to represent a group of people
Morpheme Breakdown
de
leg
ate
d
de
away
leg
choose, send
ate
verb suffix
d
past tense suffix
Etymology
the word 'delegated' originates from the latin verb 'delegare', which is a compound of 'de-' (meaning 'away, from') and 'legare' (meaning 'to send as a representative, to depute'). this literal sense of 'sending someone away on a mission' evolved into the concept of entrusting authority or tasks to a subordinate. the suffix '-ate' marks it as a verb, and the '-d' indicates its past or participial form. the core logic persists: to delegate is to send a task or responsibility away from oneself to another chosen person.
Analysis
Structure: de (away) + leg (choose, send) + ate (verb suffix) + d (past tense suffix)
de (latin prefix meaning 'away, from, off'); leg (from latin 'legare' meaning 'to send as an ambassador, to depute, to bequeath'); ate (latin verbal suffix forming verbs meaning 'to make, to act'); d (english suffix indicating past tense or past participle)
Examples
the manager delegated the daily reporting tasks to her assistant.
authority was delegated to the committee to make final decisions.
he delegated his voting power to a proxy for the annual meeting.